MISSING AND MOVING ON
By Wonga316
COPYRIGHT
Final Fantasy and its characters are property of Squaresoft etc, etc…
INTRODUCTION
This is my first attempt at FF8 fan fic. It takes places directly after time compression with a twist. Excuse any spelling or grammar mistakes. I'll try my best to catch them all but occasionally one does slip through. I'll also try to keep everyone IC and minimize OC.
"…" Indicates normal speech
'…' Indicates speakers thoughts
(…) Indicates any other communications e.g. – radio, television, telephone, speaker
CHAPTER 08
ESTHAR PRESIDENTAL PALACE – INFIRMARY
Ellone rushed towards the fallen form of her brother. "Squall!" He clutched his abdomen and grimaced at the pain. Selphie angrily slammed her food tray onto the nearest side table and stalked over to Quistis.
For the instructor, it was like time had stopped. For the first time in her life she didn't know what to do. The pain she saw in Rinoa's eye overwhelmed her. "What are doing!" Selphie demanded swiping at the air in front of Quistis. Her actions didn't register with new SEED Commander.
"We have to… find her…" Squall grumbled letting Ellone help him up.
"I'll look for her. You have to rest."
"There's no time." He replied shaking his head. "We have to stop her before…"
ESTHAR PRESIDENTAL PALACE – GUEST ROOM WING
Rinoa ran has fast as her legs could carry her. The lactic acid was beginning to burn but that didn't matter. Only one thing matter to her at this desperate moment. It was in the room she shared with Alex and could be the quickest and easiest way to solve all her problems.
Alex trudged along the same hallway with Irvine trailing slightly behind him. The sharpshooter's advice from the dinning room plagued his thoughts. 'Is Irvine really right? But how can I just do that with the way I feel?' the sound of someone runway up the hallway towards him broke his train his of thought. He looked up to see a frantic and teary eyed Rinoa run into their room and slam the door shut.
"What's going on? Who is it?" Irvine asked but he managed to flash of blue from Rinoa's duster and quickly ran past Alex to the door. He turned the handle and attempted to open the door but it was locked. "Rinoa! Hey Rinoa!" he called out knocking on the door as the sound of her rummaging the room could be hear from the inside.
"Irvine! Alex!" Selphie called out. Irvine turned down the corridor and saw his better half running towards him. "Rin… Have to find… Rin." She huffed and puffed.
"Rinoa? Are you looking for her?" She nodded. "She's inside. What happen? She looks upset."
Selphie ignored his question and started banging on the door. "Rin! It's me. Open the door."
Irvine grabbed her shoulders and shook her tiny frame. "What happen? What's going on?" he asked again.
"We have to stop her Ivry!" she pleaded. "She might try and hurt herself."
"Move. I have my pass." Alex slotted his access card through the swipe but it didn't flash green indicating that the lock was still locked. He tried again and again.
"Come on! What's wrong?" Selphie asked her cousin.
"I don't know." He tried his card once more. "She might have smashed the lock from the inside."
"So how do we get in!" she exclaimed.
"Stand back…" Squall stated. Everyone turned around to see him limping along with Ellone and Quistis on each side. His appearance got Alex thinking.
'What's he doing out of bed? Rin is upset and then he shows up…' It then occurred to him. Alex made a beeline to the injured man. "What the hell did you do!" he demanded, grabbing Squall in a choke hold and throwing him up against the wall.
"Alex! Let him go!" Ellone yelled. "He's still hurt."
"I don't care!" he yelled back. "All Squall has done is made Rinoa miserable since he came back."
"I haven't got time to deal with you." Squall whispered out as Alex's hands began to close. He used his heal to stomp down on a pressure point on Alex's foot. The attack caused Alex to temporary loosen his hold and enabled Squall to land a stiff blow to he's mid section causing the air to rush out of his body. Alex quickly released the choke hold and fell to one knee.
Ignoring Alex's abuse and Ellone's please to take things easy he walked unassisted to Irvine and Selphie. "Is she inside?" he asked, not showing any effects on the Alex's assault or his injuries.
The cowboy sniper just nodded. "Stand back." Squall ordered, without any arguments they backed away. He measured the position of the lock and planted a solid kick. The door flew back on its hinges and Squall slowly entered. He picked up the scent of something burning and noticed that Rinoa had destroyed the locking mechanism.
'She probably used a fire to take out the lock' he scanned the room and everything over turned and ransacked. Then someone pushed past him and nearly knocked him over. "Rin!"
"Where is she?" Selphie cried out. "She's not here." Squall didn't answer her and continued to look around the room. His eyes fixed on the closed bathroom door. "Squall?" he made his way over and placed his hand on the hand.
'…I can feel her using some strong magic on the other side…' he turned his head slightly to Selphie. "I want you and the others to wait out side."
"But Squall…"
"I'm not asking Selphie." He turned the handle and opened the door a little. "I'll call out if I need anything." And with that he entered and closed the bathroom door behind him.
Rinoa was sitting in the empty bath tube. She had brought her knees up to her chest and buried her face in her arms but this didn't worried Squall. Alex's SEED issued handgun hung loosely in her right hand. Squall took a step towards her but an invisible barrier stopped him.
"Leave… me… alone…" her voice was ragged and dripped with sadness.
"I can't do that." Rinoa looked up instantly when he spoke. Her eyes soften for a moment but then turned.
"What do you want?" she hissed. "Have you come to add more misery to my life?"
"I didn't come here for that." He stated, closing the lid of the toilet and sitting down.
"Don't lie!" she screamed, standing up and pointing the gun straight at Squall. "The barrier I cast stops thing from coming in but allows me to attack freely. So don't give me that crap!"
"If you want to shoot then do it if it will make you happy."
"Don't think you can outsmart with your SEED tactics. I'm not that ignorant little princess that depended on you long ago." She shouted but with less feeling than before.
"I never thought of you as an ignorant little princess."
"LIER!" she squeezed trigger and the bullet narrowly missed Squall's head. It shattered the tiles behind him. Rinoa was surprised that Squall didn't finch at the shot.
"I want you to get out and leave me alone or the next one won't be a warning."
"I can't do that." Squall said standing up and faced her directly.
"And why not!" she screamed as her shaking hand made it difficult to aim.
"Because I made a promise that I'll always protect you, not matter what happens and if that kills me or causes you hate me for all of eternity then that the way it has to be." Squall placed his hand on the barrier and it slowly melted away.
"I don't believe you!" Rinoa turned gun on herself and pointed it towards her head. "I nothing left! My father is dead, Alex hates me and I find one of my best friends with the only man that I every loved!"
"Squall! We heard a shot!" Irvine and the others busted through the door. Rinoa was briefly distracted. Squall notice and took advantage of the situation. As quick as lightning he grabbed the gun by the chamber and pulled it out of her grasp. With his free arm, he wrapped it around her waist pulling her into his body.
"You father isn't dead. Alex doesn't hate you and I'm sure that Quistis will be able to explain what happen." Squall whispered into her ear, ignoring the others. "I'll protect you no matter what happens."
"Do you love me?" Rinoa trembled as she wrapped her arms around his waist.
"You don't have to love someone to protect them…"
"Do you love me?" She asked again with more feeling and tighten her hold around Squall. Rinoa heart began to sink when the silence dragged on. "You… You don't…"
"I think it was your twentieth birthday and Alex took you a fair that had come to Balamb." Rinoa tensed up as he began. "I've never seen you smile or laugh so much that day. I then realise that this was the real Rinoa and not some sorceress constantly looking over her shoulder for fear of reprisal. I also realised that I couldn't make you laugh or smile like yo did that day. When you were with me, we were always fighting for our lives and you were the sorceress."
Everyone stayed quiet as Squall continued. "I guess… No… I know, you deserve better than this, better than what I can give. That's why I'm…"
"No…" Rinoa spoke with conviction from his bare chest. Squall looked down at look at her. "You expect me to give up on you after what you just said?" She reached up and cupped his face with her hands. "Squall… I love you and will never ask you for anything more than you could give me because you are everything I need just the way you are right now. Just because I don't smile and laugh a lot when I was with you doesn't mean I wasn't happy. I don't care what sort of life I end up having but as long as it is with you, that's all I need." She then pulled Squall down and kissed him deeply showing him how much he means to her.
END OF CHAPTER
AUTHOR'S NOTES
Thanks for all the positive reviews! I had a few wanting Rinoa and Squall to get back together. I always had the intension of pairing them together but later on in the fic and after some more bumps and knocks along the road to the happy ending
This may end up being for the best because I have some ideas for Quistis's and Alex's reactions to this development and Squall hasn't actually confirmed that he will stay with Rinoa.
Thanks for reading, wonga316